Exhibitionism & Voyeurism

Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine—or, I just want to watch. The face behind the glass, or behind the two-way mirror: I’m watching you. They’re watching us. Or, here we are, and they don’t even know.

Perhaps 30 percent of the population is inclined to exhibitionism, the majority men. In its milder forms, many more indulge—it’s common to want to show off to a lover, and dressing up is closely linked. Of course, exhibitionism can be asexual. Much prank-style flashing is done simply to break taboos.

Many variations exist. Some people want to hide while watching erotic behavior. Some want to watch their partners have sex, which is called troilism. Some secretly photograph others—the infamous up-skirt shots, or secret videos of partners. Some want their sex public or semipublic, with all the attendant risk of being caught.

At WholeSexLife, we don’t condone nonconsensual sexuality in any form. But exhibitionism and voyeurism don’t need to be nonconsensual. Sexual presentation is part of courtship, and watching and being watched is a form of presentation and appreciation.